hi guys,

doing a dml T34/85 went to the IWM the other day who have one. One small question, there unit has a long section of wooden pole mounted on the track guards any idea what its for and whether it was fitted to more than just one?

paul

A wooden pole? What's the approximate size? It is probably an unditching beam, which was a common item on Soviet tanks from 1941 till...well, till 1991. Some other nations used them also but not nearly so commonly as the Red Army.

The way they were used was to lay them down in front of the tank and drive over them, in an attempt to free a tank that had bottomed out in mud.

As you may know, there were entire roads made of unfinished logs in the old USSR, and for all I know they still exist.

you may be right about that but i am not sure it's thick enough to take the weight ? I should have put a pic on but i seem to have deleted them all